where good sleep begins

5 Fun Games That Make Bedtime Better

Having a bedtime routine is a must, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun. How about some activities to help burn off the last bursts of energy to be sure they fall asleep fast? We found five fun games that make bedtime better so your family’s days end with just one last satisfyingly entertaining activity. Try one of these tonight to increase the chances of your little ones going to bed with big smiles on their faces. Also, if you share what makes bedtime better at your house, you’ll be entered to win one of our Stay Asleep Buddies!

#1. Follow the Leader

If your kid is the kind that never ever runs out of energy then this could be a good game to end the day with. Another great thing about this game is that you can easily change it each night and there’s no wrong way to play it. You be the leader and at first, have your children copy you doing some rigorous activities. Maybe do a somersault or ten jumping jacks. After doing some tough stuff, start slowing it down gradually. Try touching your toes or windmilling your arms. Then seriously slow things down so you’re not trying to send your kids off to bed out of breath. Try a few simple yoga moves or just sit cross-legged for a minute or two. Once this game feels routine you could have the kids start it out with the wilder activities and you end it with the mellower ones.

#2. Bedtime Treasure Hunt

Hide some of the necessary items that your child needs to go to sleep in different parts of the house. Put their pajamas in the coat closet, their blankie behind some pillows on the couch, and some favorite bedtime books in the refrigerator. The kids will think it’s really funny to see all of their things in such unusual and “wrong” places. After they’ve found all the things they need for bedtime, they’ll be ready to be tucked in. (We realize that the video is way more dramatic than what we hope your bedtime game ends up being, but it’s a good example of how much kids LOVE a special bedtime stuffie or blanket.)

#3. Put on a Show

Kids are natural goofball showman so have them put on a performance for you. They could do a dance, a scene from a show or a play they make up, impersonate some favorite people or cartoon characters, or show off their gymnastics/ninja skills. They will love it and you will too, with each night ending in laughter and some amazing, precious memories.

#4. Make up a Story

In this video, a little girl tells quite the tall tale about how the new couch got a stain on it. (You can always blame the cat.)This isn’t the kind of story we had in mind, but it’s so entertaining we just had to share it. The story game we think would be fun is for each family member to take turns saying a few sentences of a story. Maybe you could start with, “One day while I was walking down the street….,” and then have your child add to this with an idea of their own. This game can end up with some ridiculous and hilarious results as you go back and forth adding to the adventure. If your child has an imagination equal to the little girl in the video, then you’ll go some crazy/fun places every night before bedtime.

#5. Shadow Puppets

In 2014 we did a post about shadow puppets that included printables that you could make at home. These shadow puppet printables are a fun little craft project that you and your kids could work on together and then try out at night. If you’ve always wanted to try making shadow puppets the old fashioned way, then the video above shows how to do a few basic animals. We think your kids will love using both methods to tell a story about a bunny hopping through the forest, or a cat that loves to lounge in the sun all day. Put away the HD technology away and enjoy using your imagination before bedtime.

Now it’s your turn! What makes bedtime better at your house? Let us know for a chance to win one of our Stay Asleep Buddies (ARV $29.99)!

Stay Asleep Buddies are interactive, plush pals who teach children when to sleep and when to wake! Using gentle melodies and glowing lights, children quickly learn to distinguish between bedtime and playtime – meaning more sleep time for both of you! Plus, the Stay Asleep Buddies are easily programmable for a full night’s rest or a much-needed nap.

Functioning as a sleep trainer, nightlight and sound soother all in one, Stay Asleep Buddies are the perfect solution for developing healthy sleep routines. Simply set the timer and Stay Asleep Buddies will do the rest!

ENTER TO WIN! Here’s how >

UPDATE: Congrats to Mandy Dearman for being our lucky winner!! Thanks to everyone for participating!

For each additional entry, leave a separate comment letting us know what you’ve done (and what your profile name is where relevant). If you’ve already done any of these in the past, just leave a comment stating so. You can enter up to 9 times by taking all of the actions listed above and the more entries you make, the more chances you have at winning!

We read books before bed and give countdowns of how many more minutes until bedtime so they don’t feel like anything abruptly changed. I also sit with my toddler for 10 minutes while he starts trying to fall asleep.

Our bedtime is better when my kids get time with their daddy, who is in the military so we only see him a few hours a week. It’s also better because of their sleep sheeps, they have slept with them every night since they were born, I cannot wait to get baby #3 stuff from y’all as well ❤️

They love my bedtime stories. There are 5 kids in our house so bedtime gets kind of wild but if it stays on track they go to bed great. This would help in our 5 family we hav 3 that still get up at night, this may help one of them, thanks for the chance!!